Places
Getting to Know: Salvador
Continuing on with our 'Getting to Know' blog series where we search for must-see places across South America, this week we're travelling to Salvador, Brazil.
Overshadowed by the huge tourist giants that are Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, this wonderful destination often flies under the radar.
About Salvador
This beautiful colonial city is located on Brazil's north-eastern coast. It's the capital city of the state of Bahia, and is known for its fantastic architecture, tropical coastline and traditional Afro-Brazilian culture.Founded by the Portuguese in 1549, it was actually the first capital city of Brazil, a title it held for more than 200 years until 1763. It's also home to 2.9 million people.
The city has both a Lower Town (Cidade Baixa) and Upper Town (Cidade Alta), which are split by a steep escarpment, almost separating the city into two.
Interestingly, the Elevador Lacerda, the first urban elevator in Brazil, is used to cross into the two different towns, leaving you with quite the breathtaking view from its top platform.
Things to do
Attend a Samba Party
Every Tuesday night at 8pm (yes, you read that right, every single Tuesday), the start of the city's famous samba party rolls around like clockwork. Tens of thousands of people gather in the streets to enjoy a carefree night filled with authentic Afro-Brazilian and Samba beats.It's a care-free and friendly event, and often lasts until the early hours of the next morning.
Mercado Modelo
When it comes to visiting a new location, we love to take some souvenirs home with us. There's no better place to find some in Salvador than Mercado Modelo. Residing next to the stunning harbour, there's hundreds of stalls selling lots of locally made products, with an expansive selection of homemade foods and alcohol, shoes, jewellery, art and woodwork. If you've built up an appetite after all this shopping, there's some great restaurants here for you to visit too.Porto da Barra Beach
Sometimes, a holiday simply isn't complete without a trip to the beach, and this one is certainly fantastic, Fazendeiros.Located in the Barra neighbourhood of Salvador, this popular beach is sandwiched between a white colonial fort and a hilltop, whitewashed church.
Since the beach is in a bay, the water is very calm, making it ideal for a quick dip to cool down.
If you're planning to spend the day at the beach, it's worth sticking around for the sunset. Due to it being west-facing, there can be some spectacular sunsets that disappear behind the seemingly endless horizon.
Feijoada
This traditional Brazilian bean stew originated in the state of Bahia, where Salvador is located. It's a very homely dish, usually consisting of black beans, salted pork and smoked sausage.Although this is the most common and modern way of creating feijoada, it actually used to contain more ingredients. Vegetables such as cabbage, kale, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin and banana were added at the end of cooking, allowing the steam from the beans and meat to cook the vegetables. This was done particularly in the north-east, especially in Bahia and Sergipe, and so some consider it to be the true way to create feijoada.
If you'd like to give feijoada a try, it's available on our salad bar. You might just love it as much as we do, Fazendeiros.
What do you think about Salvador? We'd love to hear your thoughts of this beautiful location over on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or in the comments below.
Book a table
Choose a venue
Leeds
Liverpool
Manchester
Edinburgh
Birmingham
London
Before you book
Please read all reservation terms stated on this page. By making a reservation with us you agree to our terms.
Reservation Terms
Online Reservations
Tables of up to 10 guests can be booked straight from our website (9 for Fazenda Birmingham and Edinburgh).For larger tables please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and our Reception Teams will be happy to help with your enquiry.
After making your reservation you'll receive a confirmation email. Should you not see this in your inbox after a few minutes please check your spam/junk folders. Do let us know if you have not received it and we'll be happy to help.
Dress Code
Our dress code is “elegant smart casual”. We do not require gentlemen to wear jacket and tie, however, we do not permit sportswear (gym wear) or beachwear.Children
We welcome children of all ages and believe we provide a great atmosphere for families to enjoy the restaurant experience. In the evening if guests wish to make a reservation with children under the age of 8 please do so for no later than 6pm (reservation durations vary depending on the number of guests so please note the reservation cannot go beyond 8pm). When making a reservation please count children in the total number of guests and let us know if you need a high chair or space for a pram/pushchair.
Please note: We politely request that children are always supervised and remain seated at the table to allow our teams and other guests to move around the restaurant safely and maintain physical distance.
Lastly, please note that children under 16 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult to dine.Cancellations & Deposits
We might require card details for some reservations. Your card will not be charged upon booking and your details will be securely processed by Stripe.If you no longer wish to keep your reservation, please let us know with as much notice as possible. Should you cancel your reservation or reduce the booking size less than 24 hours before your reservation date and time, a charge of £10.00 per guest will be processed.
Halal Selection
Halal reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance.Allergens
The team at Fazenda take food safety very seriously and particularly so when it concerns allergens in food. On our website you can view allergen information on our Menu page. When visiting us you'll have access to it via our menus and also on our Market Table.Smoking
In line with legislation passed in 2007 Fazenda is a no-smoking restaurant. We do not allow e-cigarettes inside either.Pets & Guide Dogs
Animals are not accepted unless assisting guests with additional needs.Photography
Guests are allowed to take photos and videos for personal use inside the private dining room, gardens and on the terrace. At the moment we are not able to accommodate any photography requests for professional or educational purposes until further notice.FAQs
**What are your opening days and times? **
To view each restaurant opening times please click on Locations and choose your local Fazenda.Are you accepting walk-ins?
We are now accepting walk-ins once again.How can I make a reservation?
You can make a reservation via our website or by contacting your local Fazenda by clicking on Locations.Do I need to pay a deposit for my reservation?
We might require card details for some reservations. Your card will not be charged upon booking and your details will be securely processed by Stripe.If you no longer wish to keep your reservation, please let us know with as much notice as possible. Should you cancel your reservation or reduce the booking size less than 24 hours before your reservation date and time, a charge of £10.00 per guest will be processed.
Can I have drinks at the bar?
Absolutely, and reservations are not needed in advance for our bar areas.Are Christmas reservations available?
They are indeed, via our reservations page.